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I’ as I tuck the wool blanket around my bundle I found the eho birthed her dead near the feed troughs, with this wee one bleating in the grass I helped her feed fro started up in earnest, I kneas time to head downhill

I’ve got some ewe colostrum in the freezer at Grammy’s house Also a thers down at the clinic, but…I didn’t I’ll be dropping by and knocking, politely asking hih his freezer

I cuddle Baby closer as I reach the ridge of rocks near Gahts of the settlement With careful footwork, I make it past the stones, down the steepest part of the path, and into view of the house

I see light through the s I hope that h the storm has caused dark’s curtain to fall early

“Al rain out of my eyes

Baby bleats in repl

y, and I feel her rooting at e I shift her weight so I can work the key into the door Then I remember I’ll need to knock

I raise my hand and knock three times, loud and steady Then I shut my eyes and steel myself for that face Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—but that face I’ve never seen ahonest, I didn’t realize one existed That he’s Declan Carnegie…well, it makes my heart sore For so many reasons

I paste a polite s

C’ie I know you’re in there

I look around the stoop, searching for ns of life, but all I see are my own boot-prints and shadows

Perhaps he’s not here Perhaps someone took him home for dinner or he’s at the pub A fellow like hiiving hiive another tourist recently; she said it’s called a duck face Dot and Holly are both young and unencumbered Maybe he’ll sweep one of them away, across the ocean and—

Sod off, Finley

I knock again, a wee bit louder Maybe he can’t hear over the monsoon Baby bleats, and after yet another minute, I knock as if I’d like to beat the door down When it remains shut, I chew my lip and push my key into the lock and slowly turn the doorknob

“Declan?”